Morning Light
by Fivercon
Summary: With marriage comes the expectation of the beginning a new life. But what Sasuke did not expect was that it marked the end for Sakura. Thus he embarks on a journey to discover what she had always meant for him to realize. SasuSaku.
1. Prologue

Author's Note: Hello everybody! This is my first, well actually, second Naruto fic. I've decided to just throw the other one in the trash because I've lost all inspiration for that one…Anyway, I hope this meets your expectations! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: All characters are owned by Masashi Kishimoto.

Prologue

* * *

"Marriage certificate completed and all the documents are verified. Now all that's left is your signatures." 

A young couple stood before the Hokage. This sort of situation wasn't a daily occurrence in Konoha but it was certain to happen now and then. The marital bond between two shinobi of Konoha was always an occasion for celebration. However, this certain ceremony was held in secret and no one was present but the seemingly awkward couple and the person needed to complete the transaction; the Hokage.

The groom was young and held a stoic expression on his handsome face. Black hair fell loosely with strands falling into his dark eyes. He reached for the pen and signed his name onto the certificate.

Following his action, the bride soon took up the pen and signed her own name. Unlike the groom, she held a cheery air around her and was, as expected of any young bride, happy that her wedding day had arrived. After signing the certificate she stepped back and stole a glance at her new husband with contentment in her emerald eyes. If her husband did see her look, he did not acknowledge it as she quietly resumed her place by his side without any other desire to know his reaction at the completion of their marriage. Despite his cold demeanor she smiled slightly and gave and inward sigh. She knew that he wouldn't easily show his emotions and although she was a little disappointed, she had long before accepted it as his nature.

"That's it then. Now you two are officially husband and wife!" announced the Hokage who was suddenly cheerful that the ordeal was over and shed all the business-like manner; clearly delighted at the young couple's marriage. "There's nothing better than having two talented shinobi join in matrimony and continuing their services to Konoha. Now I expect you to treat each other with love and respect."

"Yes, of course Hokage-sama. I wouldn't do anything to jeopardize our marriage! Thank you so much!" answered the bride happily as she quickly bowed and followed her husband who had only nodded in response, out the door.

"I know that Sakura." smiled the Hokage benignly at the girl. " I was really talking to you, Sasuke."

Sasuke stopped and turned around slightly to face the Hokage. Most people wouldn't dare to disrespect the number one ninja in the village, and he was in the majority.

"Yes." Was his reply as he stepped out of the office and quietly shut the door behind him.

"Come on Sasuke, what are you waiting for? Hurry up!" called Sakura as she was already halfway down the hall. Although she waved for him to catch up to her, he made no attempt to quicken his pace. When he finally reached her side, she rolled her eyes good-naturedly and came to walk in step with him.

"So, what do you want to do now Sasuke?" asked Sakura as she contemplated a list of possibilities for them to do as if it were a first date. Sasuke however, remained as silent as ever and continued to walk. He seemed to be deep in thought as the newly wedded couple made their way out into the overcast day.

"-or we could get something to eat, or maybe we could go break the news to our friends! I'm sure Naruto would be happy for us, although he might be a little angry that he wasn't invited to the ceremony…" continued Sakura as though Sasuke had rejected every single other idea she had suggested.

Sasuke and Sakura continued their walk as they passed a nearby park where many children were being picked up by their parents since the time was getting late. Sakura smiled as she saw a mother pick up a little boy who had just fallen on the ground. He was about to bawl in his mother's arms but suddenly kept a stiff upper lip at the sight of his father, who patted him on the head for being a strong boy.

_Maybe we'll be like that someday…_

The clouds overhead began to darken as they gathered over the village of Konoha and soon rewarded the unsuspecting people with a sudden downpour of rain. A biting gust of wind accompanied the sudden storm, causing everyone who was outside to rush into nearby shelter as the rain beat down heavier than ever. Soon, only Sakura and Sasuke remained on the street as they trudged along at Sasuke's moderate pace. Sakura seemed unaffected by the weather as she continued her one-person conversation.

"Hmmm…maybe we shouldn't visit Naruto. Who knows where he is now and I really don't want to find him in this awful weather." Sakura shielded her eyes as she tried to look up into the sky in search of some specks of blue that promised a short storm. Unfortunately, there was none to be found so she looked over at Sasuke who was drenched but paid no attention whatsoever. "Why don't we go warm ourselves up with a drink instead?"

Sasuke barely felt the pressure of the water that weighed down his black jacket. His thoughts had drifted over to his deceased family. _Father would have been proud that I've taken another step in my life. Mother would have been so happy that she could finally have a daughter-in-law. She always did talk about how her life would be completed once she saw her sons settle down with a family…And brother would-_

His thoughts were interrupted by Sakura's now quivering voice. He suddenly realized that the temperature was dropping rapidly and was finally taking its toll on her. He glanced at her and saw that she was as drenched as himself, but despite the frigid weather, she bravely stayed by his side. She was smiling contently with her long hair cascading into her eyes and down her shoulders in sheets of soft pink. She was unaware of his gaze and continued talking with her breath forming visible puffs of air in the dark. Once in awhile, she would push the hair out of her eyes and seem to come up with a whole other batch of things they could do. Feeling a pang of guilt, Sasuke stopped and averted his gaze to the ground.

_Sakura… I know that some people will think that this was just a cruel joke. They'll think that I have my own ulterior motives and that you foolishly agreed to marry me because… you are still the twelve-year-old girl who had a schoolyard crush on me six years ago…but I hope you won't believe them…_

Sasuke suddenly felt the welcomed warmth of a hand on his own. "Why don't we just go _home_ Sasuke?" He looked up to see a look of understanding in her eyes. She took his hand and led him through the streets in search of a home, their home, together.

Sakura struggled to hold their hands together as the water slid between their fingers, making it almost impossible to find a secure grasp, that is until she felt Sasuke's limp hand tighten its grip around her own. Surprised, she looked back and saw a faint smile, barely visible through the shadows on his face.

"Ok, Sakura."

* * *

"Sasuke, are you leaving?" 

"…"

"When will you be back?"

"I don't know."

Sasuke resumed packing his equipment for the ANBU mission that morning and Sakura ceased her questioning. They had been married for two years and Sasuke's cold indifference had not gone away. It wasn't as if it hindered their relationship. On the contrary, their relationship was as healthy as it could possibly be. That is to say that Sakura accepted his behavior and didn't mind the more than occasional silence that hung in between their conversations. There was just a mutual understanding between them and it was pointless to try and push Sasuke into a more intimate relationship.

Sakura still loved him as much as ever and was accustomed to the once awkward moments. After all, he was the "strong, silent type" so she no longer tried to fill the uncomfortable pauses with her incessant chatter. Every time he would leave, she would stay home and worry for his safety. More often than not, it gnawed at her but she quietly resumed her life in dealing with medical studies without him. But it was certain that every time he donned his wolf mask, she would feel a surge of pride mixed along with uneasiness. Just like the Hokage instructed, they both served Konoha to the best of their abilities.

Without another word, Sasuke heaved his pack onto his shoulders and left the door with the quiet click as always. Sakura sighed and looked out the window just in time to see him disappear in a puff of smoke. As was any other time, she smiled with affection for her brave husband but couldn't quite suppress the unfulfilled hope that they could, for once, have watched the first ray of the sunlight fall on the village together.

* * *

A quiet signature click indicated that the front door had been opened and closed. Sakura bolted up in bed since she knew that Sasuke was home from his fairly mediocre mission. Lately, the Hokage had not assigned any missions for the ANBU, seeing how conflicts with several other countries had been resolved the year before. Sakura couldn't help but feel relieved that he was home. Although the missions he received weren't deadly, they were still fairly important because he was an exceptional jounin who could handle any situation. No one wanted to waste his talents on low-rank missions. As always, Sakura went downstairs to greet him, glad that he was home safe. This time however, that was not the case. 

"Sasuke!" gasped Sakura as she ran over to his staggering form. The light was dim so she couldn't see his injuries but there was no mistaking the smell of blood in the air. His ragged breathing was uneven as she helped him over to the couch. "No Sasuke, hang on!" cried Sakura as she turned on the light. Sasuke sat weakly on the couch with his hand tightly covering wound on his side. The pressure wasn't helping the flow of blood as it continued to seep through his clothing. Sakura rushed to get a medical aid kit while Sasuke continued to press the wound.

When Sakura came back, she kneeled on the floor and pleaded with him to show her the wound but to no avail. "Please Sasuke, let me have a look! You're not helping the wound by applying pressure to it!" Still, Sasuke didn't budge. Beads of sweat were running down his face as he grimaced with the pain. "Get away from me!" he hissed.

"Fine! If you won't do it, then I will!" Sakura reached up and wrenched his hand away to reveal a ghastly puncture on his left side. "Damnit." Sakura looked over to see that Sasuke had lost consciousness, his ragged breathing had become even. His once handsome face was now full of scratches and contorted with pain. To make matters worse, a steady stream of blood was also making its way down the left side of his face.

With quivering hands, Sakura made the hand seals to try and heal the puncture wound. The amount of precise chakra was difficult to control since she was beside herself with worry. _Come on, Sasuke needs help! I can't afford any mistakes now!_ Sakura scolded herself over and over again during the course of the hour when she managed to restore the tissue that had been damaged. Fortunately, the wound was now in stable condition and would restore itself in a matter of weeks.

Sakura sighed with relief but then noticed the gash to his head. She quickly bent over him to examine the wound. The blood still continued but was in a little trickle instead of the steady flow that had ensued at the beginning of the hour. Sakura silently cursed herself for being so careless as she gently swept his bangs to one side. With the little chakra she had left, she once again began to heal. After a short while though, her chakra supply was depleted so she proceeded to bandage up the rest with tools from the medical kit.

"Sasuke..." Sakura placed a cold cloth on his head to cool down his temperature. It had only been two hours since he came home but it seemed much longer to her. What had happened to him? Wasn't he just on an ordinary mission? Konoha was at peace now right? Who was responsible for hurting him so badly? And why wouldn't he…let her help him? So many questions were burning inside her but she'd lock them in, at least until he was well enough to talk about it.

She looked over to his face and found it peaceful again. Satisfied at his current condition, she sat down on the floor with her back resting against the couch. She pulled her knees up and wrapped her cold arms around them in search for some comfort. This had reminded her of a similar situation when they were younger. Sasuke had been in pain and she was there by his side all night, desperately praying for his well-being. So many problems sprang forth from that moment on. Sasuke became obsessed with revenge, resorting to many terrible alternatives with nothing but painful dead ends that awaited him. Through it all, she had been there waiting, forever clinging onto the hope that one day he would return home, return to his friends, return to her…

He was always the one to push those who cared about him away, always the one to suffer with all his burdens alone and the one whose stoic character had captured her heart all those years ago. When he was finally willing to let someone else into his life, she thought her prayers had been answered; that Sasuke was able to free himself from the bondage that had kept him in turmoil for so long. But that night, Sakura realized that it wasn't easy for him to break those old habits. Even now he was still pushing her away.

"Why, Sasuke?" Tears escaped and trickled down her face. Sakura buried her head in her arms to muffle the sounds of her crying. "What happened to you?"

Sasuke opened his eyes to see her back towards him, trembling and crying quietly. He gazed at her but did nothing more.

* * *

Sakura got up early. The sun still hadn't quite risen and Sasuke was still asleep next to her. It had been one week since he came home with those terrible wounds. Fortunately, Sasuke was granted "sick leave" and was refrained from any missions. This left a restless Sasuke with a relieved Sakura who left everyday for medical duties with the Hokage. This morning however, she was to be deployed as a part of an elite team whose job was to journey to the outskirts of Konoha where spies were said to have been located. It turned out that the "peace agreements" with the other countries had been only a front and the enemies had used the opportunity to their advantage. Luckily, the ANBU had gotten wind of the situation and had prevented a step in their plan before they could achieve whatever goal they had in mind. 

Sakura got dressed quickly and clumsily double-checked her assignment to ensure that there were no mistakes. She too was a jounin but rarely went on missions so the case of nerves was expected. As soon as she was done, she adjusted her headband securely: the mark of a Konoha shinobi. Sakura began to make her way towards the door but stopped and quietly made her way back over to Sasuke whose form was breathing evenly. She smiled and brushed back his hair. His expression was peaceful and rather childish compared to the stern look he always carried while awake.

"You're as cute as ever, Sasuke-kun." She leaned downed and placed a tender kiss on his forehead. Moments passed as the sun began to creep its way over the horizon, shedding its soft morning light through the window and onto the couple. Sakura sighed, "I finally have the chance to see the sunrise with you." With that she left.

* * *

"Sasuke! Stop it! Damnit will you listen to me?" 

"Don't let him come any closer! Somebody stop him!"

"Sasuke, please. No…"

Blinding lights were everywhere. Many hands were pushing Sasuke back but he was determined to see beyond the throng of people. The night was pitch black and cold. Through the flitting spots of light he could see the pattern of the rain as it beat down on the group of familiar ninjas. His puffs of breath were clouding his vision as he tried to see.

"Calm down! Sasuke, Sasuke!" For some reason, people kept trying to stop him from going on but he would never stop…never stop…never because…

"DAMNIT, SASUKE!" yelled a familiar voice as he felt strong arms clasp his own behind his back. Distracted, he whirled around only to come face to face with a pair of fierce blue eyes.

"Let me go, Naruto!"

"No, not until you calm down!"

"Just get out of my way! I won't stop!"

An eerie silence filled the next moments, which seemed like an eternity to Sasuke. He needed to go on, to continue and see. He was determined to stare into the penetrating blue of his best friend's eyes. Silently pleading with him to let go. Slowly, the iron-grip released as the two stood there soaked with the onslaught of the rain.

"Naruto what-?"

"Stop it." Naruto stepped back and looked to the ground that was strewn with kunai, shuriken and blood.

"What did you say?"

"Let him go!" snarled Naruto as he retreated away from Sasuke. "Leave him alone!" Reluctantly obeying Naruto's order, everyone dispersed slowly until finally it was only the two.

"Here." Naruto threw him a flashlight and disappeared into the darkness.

Sasuke slowly reached for the switch with trembling hands as he continued straight into the darkness with nothing but a feeble source of light to guide him. But he persevered because he wanted, needed to see, to stop it all…and to say goodbye.

After what seemed like hours of desperately stumbling through the swirling darkness, with the sound of heavy rain mingling with his heartbeat, with thoughts of the future and regrets of the past flashing through his mind, he finally faltered and fell to his knees. He lost his grip with the flashlight on impact and frantically splashed through the mud to find it. What he found instead was a cold hand, a soft one that he had familiarized himself with for three years.

"No…" he whispered as he scrambled over to the body. Her scent. It was unmistakable. It was Sakura's.

* * *

E/N: Wow, that was longer than I had intended. Well, speaking of inspiration, I would like to thank two authors who gave me the idea for the whole marriage ordeal. One is Sharingan Sasuke who wrote "Frozen" and the second is Dr. Brief Cat who wrote "The Uchiha Restoration" If you don't know those fics, go check them out! 


	2. Memories

Author's Note: Hello! Here's the update. Wow, I'm actually making good progress here. Let's hope I keep this up! Thank you so much to all those who reviewed. I really appreciate the feedback.

**nancy**: Thank you! My fic is still in the premature stage though so you might be a little disappointed at the end. What I mean is that after the initial similarity to "Frozen", I'm pretty sure that this is going to take a completely separate road…But I hope that you'll still continue to read!

**Son of Darkness**: Wow, thank you so much! Your review was great (full of critique, which I appreciate!) And I must add that you are so sharp! You noticed one of the things that was kind of bothering me about the prologue. The only reason why I didn't clarify the Hokage's identity was because I wanted to focus the atmosphere directly on the two and not a third person. But to answer your question…well, you'll find out in this chapter !

**the fan**: Thank you! Here's the update. Hope it delivers what you're expecting!

**left-alone**: Aww, thanks! Here's the next update.

**Kaori**: Aww, gee…thanks…I'm a little embarrassed… but anyway, I'm glad you like the whole "in character" type of story I'm writing. I also prefer that the characters keep their original personality for serious fics like these. I'm sorry but if it were not for Sakura, this whole fic would…well…not be going the way it is. I feel bad too T.T

**Susakuru**: Thank you! The wait ends because here's the update! Enjoy!

**PRoyalAngel**: Thanks a bunch! Yeah, there is a lot of angst. To tell you the truth, I was considering putting down romance/angst for the story's category but I decided that drama fits it better.

**Mint**: Thanks for your analysis. Yes, it did seem like there was a lot of things going on in the prologue. I mean it kept flipping back and forth between flashbacks and stuff. But it's just there to set up the background for the story. I feel that it's easier for me to write the character's actions knowing how they were in the past. Did that make any sense?

Disclaimer: All characters are owned by Masashi Kishimoto.

* * *

One: Memories

Rain had fallen on Konoha all during the day and continued through the night. The drops had shot down like pellets on the townspeople who had retreated to safety indoors. Being inside personified the feelings of safety and warmth. Whatever was waiting inside was welcomed immediately. It didn't matter if it was an old couch with an overused blanket, a friend who'd hold out a much-needed drink or a child who waited with open arms at the sound of an opening door, they all represented the feeling of security. Many of these situations did occur to those who rushed inside. All settled in quietly and waited for the rain to stop as it always did, and with the expectation of the sun to soon conquer the dreary weather.

The only ones out that night were a group of shinobi. Weather was an insignificant matter to them as they continued on their missions with swift movements; clearly experts at hostile conditions. With flashlights shining the way, they kept on their relentless struggle to reach their destination: the outskirts of Konoha. They were the reinforcements sent out by the Hokage to aid another group that had been deployed there earlier that morning. The latter group was an elite team of jounins that was sent out to check if there were any sign of the enemy. A battle had occurred there a week ago with several wounded on both sides. Luckily for Konoha, there had been no deaths. Although the injuries that had been sustained were serious, Konoha was known for their exceptional medical ninjas who were quite capable of healing almost any type of wound.

When the call was needed for reinforcements, a group of ten shinobi was dispatched to the designated area. Being called for reinforcement never bode well on the circumstances for the team in question, but surprisingly, most of these shinobi didn't worry too much. After all, the group sent that morning was made up of some of the most talented jounin available. But there was also an irrepressible lingering thought that hung in the back of their minds, wondering if the situation was truly dire.

Upon reaching their destination, they quickly searched around for the battle site that had been reported. Strangely, there was no sign of a struggle. All that could be heard was the din of the constant rain. Still determined, the ten headed out in different directions in hopes of finding one of their comrades.

"Damnit…" cursed one shinobi as he shined his flashlight over his head, hoping that it would finally reveal the missing site. In contrast to the surrounding darkness, this certain shinobi was rather "illuminating". His golden hair hung in wet locks around his furrowed brow and his electric blue eyes quickly followed the light as he moved to another area.

Another tree, another hill but still no sign of them. Truth be told, the exact coordinates weren't given in the alert so it was understandable if they weren't found immediately. Still, this rational thought didn't mean a thing to this shinobi as he impatiently searched through the mud for any sign that could point them in the right direction. "Where are they?" he yelled in a not so inconspicuous voice.

A response.

"Still…as rash as ever…Naruto?"

He froze upon hearing the weak and barely audible voice. A voice he recognized as a dear friend.

* * *

The one person in the village who couldn't stand being inside was restless. A warm home meant nothing to him. Unlike everyone else who preferred their cozy abode, he wished he was outside; knew he should be out there like his fellow teammates. He was a shinobi. His duty as one was to put his life on the line for Konoha, and to be trapped inside was the one thing he couldn't bear. To make it worse, he knew something was wrong. She wasn't there. The only person who would make the house meaningful was gone; gone without a word or note. Sure, he himself did that all the time but that was his character not hers.

He sat down, angry that he was in the dark about everything. His breathing was heavy as his obsidian eyes roamed around the house, their house.

_The kitchen_. It seemed like just a few moments ago when she was there, greeting him with a, "Good morning, Sasuke!" as he made his way toward the table. Her cooking wasn't always the best but he knew she tried her hardest. Every morning he would come downstairs and his breakfast would have already been prepared, reliable as it always was. It didn't matter how early he left, she always seemed to know and had therefore, made him something.

_The window_. Being a shinobi, he could always sense when someone was watching him and sure enough, every time he'd leave, she would stand by the window to see him off. Sasuke would never acknowledge it but it felt reassuring to know that someone was there waiting for him to return. Maybe it was that little extra incentive that made him complete every assigned mission with swiftness and efficiency. Even when the mission seemed impossible to complete, he had made sure to return home.

_Like last time._

_The couch. _Finally with the last ounces of his strength, he had managed to return home. It was in the early hours of the morning. The night had been filled with fighting, skilled enemies and visions of blood. Sasuke had dealt his enemy a crushing blow, causing the opposing force to retreat. Although he staggered with exhaustion, he still made the effort to be quiet so as to not wake her up.

One could say that he did retain a small part of sentimentality for his wife. But then it could just have been that he believed there was no need to concern anyone else in his business. It was probably the latter but it didn't matter seeing as how Sakura had made her way down the stairs to greet him anyway. He'd not wanted her assistance and tried to push her away. Unfortunately for him, he was too tired to fight again. He had reluctantly allowed her to help him to the couch and it was only after he had regained consciousness, that he realized how much his unwillingness had hurt her. She had sat there beside him throughout the night crying and all he could do was gaze at her trembling frame. Sasuke hadn't meant to hurt her; he never did but had always managed to somehow…

"Enough of this."

Sasuke began to contemplate all of the possibilities of where Sakura could have gone. The aftermath of his last fight had still not been resolved yet and although several investigations had taken place since last week, none of them had been completely successful. Konoha still required the necessary information from the enemy to secure some leads to their whereabouts. Certain professionals would take care of that kind of matter so there was no doubt that they had been sent. Although these types of shinobi were rather rare, their numbers were reasonable and they were used as a last resort on seemingly hopeless investigations. They usually focused their work on analyzing the damage after a recent battle. These included weapon specialists, terrain examiners and of course, medical ninjas.

Sakura.

Cursing, he pulled on his shuriken holster, burst through the door and promptly slammed it shut. After hurrying through the correct hand seals, he was soon enveloped in a puff of smoke and disappeared. Then, all was quiet as if the known couple in the house had retired for the night.

* * *

As soon as he arrived, he knew that something was wrong. Many familiar shinobi were there. They had all at one time, been friends more or less; this time it was the former. The murky weather made everything unclear but through the flashes of light, he could discern their saddened expressions. A silence held them together as they stood still in the heavy rain. When they detected his presence however, they quickly moved in to prevent him from going on: another ominous sign.

Sasuke's heart began sounding in his ears as all signs pointed to his conclusion. He was afraid but it only raised his curiosity even more and only by confirming the situation himself, would the dread of truly not knowing subside…

* * *

At last, his hand finally found hers. Sasuke slowly managed to pull himself over to her. His wounds from last week had not completely healed yet but he wouldn't let that stop him. Not from this.

"Sakura..." His flashlight was able to illuminate her figure lying on the ground. Like through most of her life, her expression held a look of peace, almost satisfied. One that he had looked at everyday for the last three years, only at those times, her emerald eyes had sparkled with life. Sasuke slowly moved the light over to her left side where the blood was still dripping onto the muddy floor. "Please…"

The attacker's weapon had been removed; probably by someone who got there before him…_before._ How ironic that the very same wound that she had healed just a week before, was in the end, fated upon her. Sakura's recognizable pink hair fell in wet locks around her shoulders as he gently brought his right arm around her for support. Naively holding his breath, Sasuke placed a shaky hand over her heart. Although he knew better, he couldn't help but finalize the scene before his eyes with his own hands. Sure enough, there was nothing beating against his palm. Nothing.

Sasuke slowly brought the body closer to him and fully embraced her for the first time. Her familiar soft scent enveloped his senses as he held her tightly. "You…" The pain and anguish inside him was immobile as he held her to him. It seemed that everything had stopped. He could no longer feel the pounding rain on his back, the cold wind that sliced at his numb skin or the ache in his left side. All he could see was the lifeless body of his wife, cradled gently in his arms. Her eyes, once so full of emotion were now calmly closed as if a deep sleep had taken a hold of her.

His left hand gripped hers tightly just like a memory of three years ago when they had first stepped out of the Hokage's office as husband and wife. Back then it'd also been raining. Their breaths had formed evanescent wisps of clouds in the darkness. He was brooding as always while she was there by his side. Throughout their walk, she had stayed with him. While braving the storm and his intimidating silence, she'd listed many things they could have done. From that moment on, her voice had become a soothing sound, one that told him time and again, and words of companionship.

But now it was silenced forever. Never again to speak, to say the things that he had most wanted to hear since he was a young boy.

And thus, the night gradually passed.

* * *

"I can't believe they got attacked."

"This doesn't look good for us."

"Yeah. The group sent was made up only of jounins right? That couldn't have been an easy task."

"That's what I think. Although most of them were specialists, they still had to have tremendous skills to have attained such high rankings. There were a few that were quite well-known for their exceptional talents too."

"One was a medical ninja right? A disciple of the Hokage?"

"Maybe, I'm not quite sure of the details…"

"I hope that isn't true. We don't have that many medical ninjas and to lose one that was taught by Tsunade herself…The Hokage must be so distressed."

"What was worse was that they were all so young. One of them had a newborn son. This must be heart wrenching for the wife."

"…Maybe it's not such a good idea to have so many deep ties when you're a shinobi. There's just so much pain for those left behind."

"It's so tragic. Do you think a lot of people will show up?"

"Maybe, but then again, it's not like last time when the Third Hokage died…But all that matters is that they get the respect they deserve."

"Right, as long as their family members are there. I guess they can rest easy with a nice goodbye."

"Of course. Only their loved ones matter and I'm sure each and every one of them are going to be there."

"Come on, let's hurry… I think they've already started."

* * *

After the service, the small group of people clad in the customary black dispersed to pay their respects to the certain individuals. It turned out that four of the six shinobi sent had been killed in the surprise attack. Of the other two, one had disappeared with no trace while the last one was in critical condition. Soon, there were only a few people left who continued to mingle around the new graves.

The gravesite held a serene atmosphere and one couldn't hope for a better place. A reasonable amount of trees would provide some shade for the warmer days of the year. During the spring, blossoms would greet the headstones on days when life was too busy to spare a moment of visitation. Lush grass surrounded the vicinity giving off a clean and well-kept appearance. They'd be happy to know that. Here and there, flowers were placed down and people comforted one another to try and ease the pain.

Naruto stood in front the grave.

"Sakura-chan…I'm sorry that I didn't come sooner. My best effort still didn't let me get there in time. But I swear to keep my promise to you. Like I always said, it's my word and I won't go back on it. That's the path I've chosen."

_Man, what I wouldn't give for you to just yell at me for being so repetitive. It always did keep me on my toes you know. _Naruto gave a sheepish grin and began to make his way back home.

"Hey, Naruto."

He turned around to see two familiar faces. "Hey." Naruto was satisfied when he saw who had attended the service. Many of the people there were friends of Sakura. Some of them closer than others but they had all been through some similar situations in the past and so there was a bond of friendship nonetheless. Whether it was a childhood acquaintance or a longtime friend, they had all showed up for her.

These two had been on a separate team back when they had just graduated from the academy. One was a young man with the reputation of being the lazy genius: Shikamaru. His usual bored expression was rather subdued as he greeted his friend. He and Naruto had gotten to know each other well over the years; their earlier misjudgments had evaporated years before and were replaced by mutual respect. His companion was a young woman with light blonde hair. Unlike Shikamaru, she looked completely devastated. Her blue eyes were clearly swollen from crying. She was once the archrival of Sakura and they had both spent the majority of their time together bickering. Both had been consumed with the same passion and had ended their early childhood friendship over it. As they matured however, old temperaments faded away to reveal trust and closeness again.

"How are you doing Naruto?" asked Shikamaru. He knew that the Team Seven trio had been extremely close throughout the years and had survived through incredible trials together. No doubt this lost was a severe blow to the other two. Maybe one more than the other but still agonizing for the once idiotic "failure" of their class.

"Hanging in there I guess." Naruto managed a smile to try and ease out of the attention. In all honesty however, he didn't think it would be this hard on him. Of the three, he had never expected her to be the one to leave first and talking about it wasn't going to sort out the pain so he'd just try and change the subject. "You guys know I bounce right back. Nothing could keep me down for long. How are you, Ino?"

"Just like you I guess." Naruto nodded. He could understand her feelings. After all, she and Sakura also had their share of memories throughout the years. Ino suddenly glanced around, her expression clearly held the look of puzzlement. "Where is he, Naruto?"

And there it was. She had hit the exact question that had been on his mind too. Inside, Naruto cursed Sasuke for…just about everything. Naruto had been the first one to arrive because he had expected Sasuke to be there already. Knowing that he had anti-social issues, Naruto had anticipated him to arrive there early so as to have a private moment by himself. Thinking ahead, Naruto figured he himself should be there too, in the background, just in case there was a chance that Sasuke might be willing to exchange a few words together. Unfortunately, he had arrived to greet absolutely no one.

"…"

"You mean he didn't come? At all?" The shock on Ino's face conveyed all three of their feelings. Naruto mostly, understood her thoughts but having that stubborn trait, he had convinced himself of another possibility.

"Nah. You know how he is…he's got a problem with the crowd so he's probably just waiting for everyone to…you know, leave. Then he'd be able to get some peace and quiet." This seemed to convince Ino but Shikamaru still looked a little skeptical at the hurried answer. Naruto caught his doubtful air and quickly set off another chain of responses to wipe that look off of his face. "Seriously Shikamaru, he's out there! I just know it. I bet you anything he's somewhere nearby looking at us right now! Just waiting for the opportune moment to come. Believe me, I know him."

Shikamaru smiled and patted Naruto gently on the shoulder. "Yeah, I know you do." They all began to walk off in a lightened mood at Naruto's sudden passion.

"Come on, let's get out of here and grab something to eat." Naruto suggested, glad that everyone seemed to have snapped out of their depressed stupor. _It had to be true. He'd show when he'd feel most comfortable. There'd be no point in fussing about it now._ Naruto gave out a heavy sigh and lead the way to his favorite place to eat.

But unbeknownst to Naruto, his confidence was for naught because the husband of his dearly departed friend was nowhere near his wife's grave.

* * *

E/N: Somehow, I got the feeling that this chapter was not as exciting. It's probably true but I needed to set the character's emotions in place for the continuing chapters. Otherwise, they might come off a little out-of-character. Yeah, excuses, excuses, that's me! Well, I hope there aren't so many grammar mistakes in this one… I hoped you enjoyed it!


	3. Awakening

Author's Note: Here we go! This is where the story really starts. Yeah, I should have said that for chapter one but I guess chapter two is fine. 'Memories' was really just a continuation of the prologue or something. Oh well.

**left-alone**: Another review and so quick after I submitted it too! Thank you so much!

**nancy**: Thanks for keeping up with the story. Update's here!

**Mint**: Ok, so maybe this fic isn't exactly all peachy-keen and maybe it is a little depressing but I can assure you that there are other elements at work here…You never know what's in store until the story's over. Hopefully this chapter will be a little more refreshing.

**Zuan**: Thank you! I love the angst too! There's just something that's so enticing about it.

**sleepdeprived**: Well, it's great that you enjoy my fic! Sorry if it seems a little too dramatic and angsty. I don't really mean for it to be that bad well...sort of. I hope this chapter won't be too bad for you. Thanks for reading.

**Yachtzee**: Yes, this is a really descriptive fic. I noticed that myself once I checked it over. And since this fic is so descriptive, I've tried to clump my paragraphs together in a way that it makes the most sense. It may be a little hard to read but that's the best I can do. It wouldn't make sense if I put two consecutive paragraphs describing the same thing. It'd be a little redundant so please bear with me.

And I do understand how you feel about the rushed feelings in my prologue but I've said before that the flashbacks really only serve as a writing technique for me. They're there to build the characters' personalities. My fic's main focus isn't on marriage so I won't be concentrating on those years in detail.

Let me assure you that this is a Sasusaku fic. Writing a piece that concentrates on Sasuke alone won't be as fun for me so don't worry, there's more stuff to come. After all, I'm a big fan of this coupling! But even with all of these annoying features about my fic, you've read through them and for that I would like to thank you and hope that you'll continue reading.

**Quex**: Thanks so much! Tear-jerkers are great every now and then. Here's the update so enjoy.

Disclaimer: All characters are owned by Masashi Kishimoto

* * *

Two: Awakening 

Night drew a blanket of stars around the quiet village. It had been a rather quiet day after the funeral of the four jounins. The stragglers in the streets were making their way home and looking forward to a good night's rest. After all, it wasn't just the ninjas that worked hard around the village. One by one, the remaining lights were extinguished and the shadows dispersed to join the oncoming dark shroud that enveloped each part of the town. Of the few places that were still opened, one held an unusual atmosphere of cheeriness. Unusual as in unnatural.

"That's how it was, I swear!" yelled Naruto as he banged his hand on the bar sending his used chopsticks two inches in the air. "She said that I would make a fine uncle!"

"Sure, Naruto." humored Shikamaru good-naturedly, as he finished off his bowl of ramen. "I'm sure she said that."

"What's wrong with you? Don't you believe me? It's so obvious! Anyone could see that I'm made up of some of the best uncle material around! You believe me right?" Naruto insisted looking at a tired Ino who had already agreed with him for the last fifteen minutes.

"I've already told you Naruto! You know what my answer is!"

"See? I guess you don't know everything Shikamaru. Even things that are just staring at you right in the face." Naruto scoffed and pushed back the three bowls he had finished in the last twenty minutes. "I think that's good enough to last me until tomorrow."

"I should hope so," Shikamaru set down the money and prepared to leave. "Come on, let's go. The owner probably wants to close up." The other two followed suit and as they exited, Naruto gave the owner an apologizing grin. The three tiredly walked out into cool air. They had spent the day talking about their past selves and filling up on random foods until finally stopping at the Ichiraku for Naruto's regular scheduled dinner.

Naruto felt bittersweet at the reminiscing. On the one hand, he felt that it was a little too soon to be remembering the days of the academy when every issue was rather trivial. Now, they were all "mature" in a sense and were always being occupied with missions to really get a moment of peace. The life of a shinobi. It wasn't exactly easy but one does what one can to be of some use to Konoha. For some, the thrill of the action and adventure was better than staying in one place while lethargy settled in.

Taking a trip down memory lane always had its downside. A sense of nostalgia here and embarrassing moments there were sure to be remembered. But then there would always be some memories that were worth the trouble. Instances where one can look back and see where it all began and those who took part of the worthwhile journey.

"Well, I'm off this way!" Naruto turned around and faced the other two giving a wide grin. " I'll see you guys later."

He turned a corner and walked across the bridge where Team Seven's appointed meeting place had been so many times. It was always the same back then. The first to come was Sasuke, early for the peace and quiet. Next would have been Sakura who'd be there at the reasonable time and last would be himself, dashing up at the last minute and hoping that he'd be there before their teacher arrived.

_Well, I guess I'm the first and only one here now. _He finished crossing the bridge and headed home toward a much-needed good night's sleep. _That'll help my mind some. Tomorrow will be a new start, a fresh one with nothing left behind and nothing wrong._

* * *

In the outskirts of Konoha, a dark figure slowly walked toward a stained patch of grass. The clumps of grass had hardened from the crimson liquid and it crackled beneath the solid footsteps. After reaching a certain destination, the figure stopped and kneeled down. The night wind blew against the blades of grass causing the familiar yet haunting whistling in the air. Poignant sounds were varied as the wind rippled through each edge. The waves of the tall grass fanned at the man's skin but he took no notice; his onyx eyes kept to the floor. 

Minutes passed but the man still didn't move. Soon, the force of the wind grew causing the blades of grass to whip back and forth with each breath until it slit the vulnerable skin on the man's left arm. Blood began dripping down the back of his hand in a steady trickle. His eyes followed the scarlet trail as it ran in between his fingers and onto the ground where it became a second layer…

"Why, Sakura?" His quiet words were carried away and had soon drowned in the night's song. Sasuke banged his tightened fists onto the hard floor and doubled over, trembling uncontrollably. His fingers slowly outstretched and scraped at the dead grass as if they were desperately searching for something...for someone who was unreachable on the other side.

Sasuke slowly released his hands and sat back. _Why? Why does the same scene await me at the end of everything?_

"I thought it'd be different with you but…you've made me into a liar. It's…" Sasuke hesitated as he looked back to the ground with her dried blood and his fresh drops on top. "...Over between us."

Inside, his heart banged wildly. It hurt. There was no doubt about the pain. The pain of losing the one person that he truly depended on. It had shattered his heart into pieces that night that he held her lifeless body in his arms. Everything he had tried so hard to overcome through most of his life was for nothing.

The scene of his parents, massacred in his once warm home had vividly sprung back into his mind. It played back and forth in his eyes, time and again, repeating the emotions he had felt that night. His mother who had died first, the blood still leaving a fresh trail as it flowed down her chin. His father who had put up a useless defense was slumped on top of her and both of them laying it a pool of blood that seemed to stretch for miles across the hardwood floor. Itachi with his infamous Sharingan aglow in the dark, his voice dripping with coldness at the issued dare, to live, to survive until Sasuke was strong enough to kill him.

The years that it had taken to push all of it back into a remote corner of his mind was an incredible yet mysterious feat that eluded even himself. There was nothing that had seemed to work until she came. She came and somehow eased the nightmares, the never-ending self-abasement and the guilt that had formed walls around his heart for so long. Slowly, over the years, she had somehow managed to hold his hand through his battle against the past. She was his encouragement, his light; the one thing that kept beckoning to him as each wave of pain pushed him under again and again. It became a continuous routine until one day, it seemed that nothing was ever wrong. The past was still there but it had been conquered; won over with nothing left to torture him daily.

It was on that day that he seemed to have realized who Sakura really was. She wasn't that annoying girl whose eyes would sparkle with excitement after a single cold comment anymore. Her naivety was no longer there. She knew. Even though it wasn't at a first-hand level, she understood his pain and had steadily helped him over the once impossible obstacles. He never knew until that day, how much he depended on her smile, her laughter, her gentle words or her unwavering hands that he drew his courage from.

But it was cut short when he felt the stillness of her heart with his own hands.

Sasuke masochistically welcomed the numbing sensation in his mouth as he grinded his teeth together. His raven locks half covered his vision as he steadily gazed at the line of blood that coursed its way onto the ground. He would stop the blood, stop all of the suffering inside him and block the entry into his heart for the very last time once and for all.

"This is the end, Sakura."

"Do you really mean that?"

It seemed as though a huge electric shock was sent through his body as he was jerked out of his daze. His honed senses returned to their normal functions as he whipped his head around to locate the person. Even though it was pitch black, he could still pinpoint the exact position of a person. But all signals were negative. There was no one there. No one was behind, above or in front of him. There was no one underneath the ground ready to spring a surprise attack on him either. Sasuke kept very still, his heart was hammering away with uneasiness. He was sure that he heard someone.

A soft touch on his bleeding arm. Sasuke looked to the left and found himself gazing into deep pools of emerald…

"No…"

"..."

"Get the hell away from me!"

"Listen…"

"You're dead! I'm losing my mind…"

"No, please listen. Listen to m-"

Sasuke heartbeat was the only thing that was audible as he stared at the apparition next to him. Soft pink hair blew in the wind, those concerned green eyes…He shakily began to pull away until he felt a gentle but firm hand on his wound. It was warm. Warm. He felt the heat seep into his own skin.

"Sasuke, come back to me. Please come back to me."

"What?"

She held onto his arm as she stood up firmly. Sasuke glanced at her hand, secure on his arm as it always was, as though it had never left…

* * *

"Come on, Sasuke."

"Hey! Yes, we're making some progress here."

"I think I can handle it from here, why don't you go take a break? The worse is over."

"I'll be right back. Gotta go make some reports…"

Sasuke slowly opened one eye and gathered in the surroundings. A wooden headboard, the sterile environment, a beside table with a packet of medicine and a glass of water. There was no doubt about it. He was in the Konoha Hospital. From the look of the drawn curtains, it seemed as though it was in the middle of the night.

Sasuke felt like a deadweight and tried to move his body but realized that he was strapped down to the bed. Thick leather bands fastened each of his limbs making it barely possible to move. There was even one around his waist. It was obvious that someone did not want him to get up.

But why? How did he get here? Was he sick? Did they just come back from a mission? And most importantly, why the hell was his late wife sitting next to his bed as though she'd been there for the last week?

"Thank goodness, you're all right Sasuke, I was so worried about you." The voice he thought he'd never hear again spoke quite clearly in the brightly lit room.

"S-Sakura?" He gasped in disbelief as he stared at the medic ninja who sighed with relief at his consciousness. Ignoring his question, Sakura glanced back the clipboard in her left hand while making notes with her other. "You- you're alive?" At this comment Sakura snapped her attention back to Sasuke, her eyes widened with curiosity and amusement.

"Me? Dead? That's a first." She starting laughing but then abruptly stopped at Sasuke's "what-the-hell-is-going-on" look. "I…I can assure you that I'm alive, Sasuke."

This comment however, did nothing to satisfy Sasuke's thoughts. Numerous questions began flickering in his hazy mind as he tried to make sense of everything. Sakura was dead; he saw her himself. Naruto and the others had tried to stop him from seeing her but he'd managed to anyway and had held her cold body against his own that stormy night…

Seeing the look still plastered on his face, Sakura tried to choose the right words for an explanation that wouldn't arouse his temper.

"You were found collapsed near the border of Konoha. Do you remember? Actually, you were there because of me…my team was ambushed and I guess we didn't handle it as well one would have hoped…" She lifted the left side of her shirt to reveal a heavily bandaged wound. Sasuke remembered that. He remembered that it was a fatal wound. The blood loss was too great for anyone to survive… "I don't know what happened because I was passed out from it all but they said that you had some sort of seizure when you arrived. I woke up here the next afternoon. It seemed as though they took care of everything for me and I was about to go home until they told me that you had been hospitalized."

Sasuke was at a loss for words.

"Let me go."

"What?"

"Sakura, I'm fine. Get these off of me." Sakura looked skeptical but she submitted to his demand and released the leather straps.

"Sasuke, we were only doing this for your sake. It seemed that your convulsions were really abnormal so you should try and take things slo-" Sakura's explanation had been cut short because Sasuke had enveloped her in a tight embrace.

_She's here. I can't believe it…she's in my arms. Sakura's not dead, she was only injured and everything else…was an illusion right?_

He looked down and saw her slightly shocked expression at his rashness. A hint of a blush tinted her cheeks as she looked away from his gaze. "A-Are you alright, Sasuke?"

She seemed to feel a little awkward at the close proximity; especially one that had been engaged by Sasuke. After all, when was he an affectionate person? But Sasuke couldn't care less. All he knew was that she was safe in his arms and letting her go was a mistake that he wouldn't commit again.

"Did you know that I thought you were gone forever?" She looked up at him, surprised at the cracking of his voice. He raised a trembling hand to caress her cheek and feel her long strands of hair that slid in between his fingers. "Sakura, I'm sorry." Sakura was a little overwhelmed and confused but stayed close to him anyway. Throughout the night, Sasuke held on to Sakura and berated himself for imagining such a fantasy.

Or rather a nightmare.

As the hours slowly passed, Sasuke felt the comfortable weight fall on his eyes and allowed sleep to carry him off. As long as she was there by his side, he could fall asleep anywhere.

_Sasuke, I have to go for a bit but I'll be back okay?_

The never-ending darkness began to lighten as Sasuke slowly regained his senses. Suddenly there was a sound of a curtain being opened as the light intensified. Sasuke growled with annoyance at the brightness but opened his eyes nonetheless. A pair of indigo eyes stared back.

"Hey! You're finally up!" yelled Naruto in his not-so-quiet voice to further annoy the patient. "From my skilled observations, it seems like you're getting your strength back."

"You-" grumbled Sasuke as his eyes strayed into the darkest corner of the room to try and lessen the painful glare of the sun.

"Don't you 'you' me!" scoffed Naruto as he plopped down at the foot of the bed and grabbed an orange out of a get-well-soon basket. "It's thanks to me that you're waking up all safe and sound you know. This is the thanks I get huh?"

"Wha-?" Sasuke dimly recalled the events that had transpired last night. They were full of details but a satisfying explanation had not been one of them. "What are you talking about?"

"Well if you'll just give me a minute, I'll tell you!" Naruto finished peeling the orange and threw the fruit to Sasuke who caught it but didn't eat. "I found you at that place…you know, where the attack happened. You had passed out and were saying really weird stuff…must have been some dream. Anyway, I brought you back here where they said you were suffering from some post-traumatic stress syndrome and had to be sedated and hospitalized until your convulsions or whatever subsided." Sasuke only stared at the jounin who obviously had just ripped those words right off a medical ninja's report. "Okay, okay, I had no idea what was wrong with you and I still don't, but it seems that you're gonna be fine now." He stood up and made the way to the door.

"Hey, how long have I been here?"

"About four days tonight I guess…" Naruto shrugged and sighed. For the first time, Sasuke noticed that the energetic idiot looked a little gaunt.

"What's the matter with you?"

Naruto looked back at him surprised. "Geez, a couple of days in here and your memory's worse than ever," he groaned exasperatedly. "What else? Everyone's talking about the attack from the Cloud ninjas."

_That's right. They were the ones that attacked me too._

"You'd better get over this quick. There are lots of people who need you out there." Naruto gave a quick toothy smile that had fox written all over it before he disappeared.

Not all of his questions had been answered right away but it would have to do for the moment. The rest will come eventually and there was no hurry since everything was back to normal. Sasuke looked down at the peeled orange and gave a small smile.

"It looks like I won't have to be a liar now."

* * *

E/N: Surprised? I know I was. Some of my own feelings here... I don't know but I kind of think that the end was a way of copping out. But what I'm trying to do here is to see the story in retrospect. A necessity! That's what this chapter was! To tell the truth, the fic has taken a 180-degree turn because of a certain thing called a writer's block. Yes, I was panicking for a while but my muse came back to me so I churned out this chapter right away before it slipped from my mind. But don't worry, there's a lot more coming up. That's at least one thing I can guarantee. 

Oh and it's so much more fun with you-know-who back! It lifts the whole angsty feel doesn't it? Just a couple of incentives for changing the original plan... It might seem a little confusing right now but I'll tie up the loose ends later. AH! More excuses. Well, thanks for reading!


	4. Resolution

A/N: After four years, I have finally written a satisfactory chapter. Enjoy!

--dedicated to PhantasyDreamer :)

* * *

Four: Resolution

There she was.

She sat beside his bed and carefully explained to him what had occurred during the last couple days. Her pink hair, usually neatly tied back in a ponytail while in the hospital, was a little tousled from having spent day and night by her husband's side. Time and again she looked at his charts, fussed over the stats and concerned herself about making sure there were enough pillows and blankets. Now she looked at him expectantly as though holding her breath. Lips pressed together in a thin line and furrowed brows marked her exhausted face which only served to create more anxiety in her patient.

"Do you believe me, Sasuke?"

Her words echoed in his mind.

Sakura was not dead. She didn't die. She had only been injured (albeit gravely) and he had misunderstood. According the medic's version, the shock caused a momentary loss of psychological control and induced hallucinations. In layman's terms, Sasuke had experienced an illusion which was what led to his current situation of being a patient in the Konoha Hospital.

Uchiha Sasuke found this hard to digest let alone listen to. Ever since two days ago when he awoke and found his deceased wife smiling, talking and clearly very much alive, he had gone over this repeatedly in his mind. Sasuke could recall everything in an instant.

Freezing rain had beat down upon him as he stumbled through the muddy terrain for any traces of her. The earth was stained with pools of diluted blood fresh from battle. When he found her cold hand, he could remember the rush of emotion in a second…then nothing but numbness as he cradled her body in his arms for what seemed like an eternity.

There was absolutely no doubt in his mind that what he saw and felt was true. How could anyone explain the stillness of her heart when he had placed a shaking hand on her chest?

He stared back at Sakura's emerald eyes and wondered whether he should tell her the truth of what he really thought or lie. Lie for his sanity. Lie for her sake.

"Yes, Sakura. I believe you."

Her small sigh of relief lightened Sasuke's load of anxiety considerably. Glad to hear the good news, Sakura finished writing her report on the chart in hand rather quickly and got up to retrieve his medicine. Sasuke frowned as she held out the pills and a glass of water.

"Sakura, I'm fine. I don't need these. I want to go home."

Sakura lowered herself to his eye level and got closer until her forehead lightly pressed against his. "I know. I promise we'll be home soon. The sooner you get better, the faster we'll get out of here."

Her voice was gentle yet he could still hear the fatigue in her words so he closed his eyes and held out his hands for yet another dosage of drugs.

"Good!" Sasuke slightly opened one eye in surprise when he felt her lips on his forehead. Although it wasn't at all to his discomfort, he couldn't help but feel like a five year old being coaxed to eat his vegetables.

"Tch."

Reaching out, Sasuke grasped her arm and pulled Sakura down to meet her lips with his own. She was taken aback at first but settled into his touch and taste- it was something that after three years of marriage, she still wasn't use to.

"You know," Sakura murmured quietly between his kisses and breaths of air, "This doesn't get you out of taking that medicine."

She opened her eyes as she felt his all too familiar smirk. They broke apart and Sasuke obediently downed the pills and water while Sakura busied herself with his papers as her blush subsided. Sasuke put the empty glass on the table and settled back down into the covers hoping that no thoughts or dreams would disturb his rest that night.

"I'll see you in the morning." Sakura's pretty smile greeted him again before her hand pulled the door closed.

In an instant, the image of that very hand flashed through his mind once more. Its every detail, vivid and throbbing in his head brought on the flood of memories of that night. Sakura's hand was limp, freezing; that of a dead person.

Sasuke was there again in the rain, soaking wet and looking down into her lifeless face. The flashlight he'd dropped lay several feet away illuminating only her upper body, but the feeble beam was sufficient for what he needed to see. The gaping wound in her abdomen refused to stop bleeding. Her jounin vest was stained with so much blood that it seemed no amount of water could rid the cloth of red. Sasuke brought an unsteady hand to her face and wiped a strand of hair that clung to her bruised cheek feeling his chest constrict with rage.

Suddenly, it stopped.

Hospital room. Hospital bed. Clammy sheets. Cold sweat formed at his brow and his hands were clenched tightly around the blankets. Sasuke felt his heart pounding inside his chest; his breathing was ragged, shallow and impossible for someone merely lying in bed just a second ago. Despite this though, Sasuke's mind only focused on what he'd just seen. That night replayed over and over again as though it only happened moments before.

Sasuke closed his eyes in desperate hope of ridding the images that continued to relentlessly play in his mind.

But to no avail.

Sasuke grit his teeth in anguish and lashed out violently, shattering the empty glass on his bedside table.

Her hand had barely left the handle when she heard the sound of broken glass through the door. Giving into the tears that quickly formed, Sakura sobbed silently outside the door of her husband as he suffered alone. She leaned back heavily against the wall feeling utterly helpless.

She knew he was lying when he said he'd understood.

_

* * *

Three hours earlier…_

"But Tsunade-sama, we barely have any information on the long term usage of the Sharingan! How can you be so sure that this is happening?"

Honey colored eyes stared back at the girl sympathetically. Once Sakura was told of Sasuke's condition, her usual lively countenance melted.

"The advanced techniques of the Sharingan are intertwined with the branch of Genjutsu. Extensive usage of those techniques is detrimental both physically and mentally…" Tsunade hesitated before continuing with a question. "Did he ever tell you about his last fight with Itachi?"

Immediately, Tsunade wished she hadn't brought up the topic of the infamous Uchiha who massacred his entire clan. Sakura froze before averting her eyes and shaking her head. "He never mentioned their last battle or what happened during the years he was away…"

"All I'm saying Sakura, is that Genjutsu is the most complicated area to understand. The Sharingan deals with the psyche and the effects can rebound on the user. You, being a medical ninja, should understand that better than anyone."

"Yes, of course, shishou." Sakura bowed respectfully to the Fifth Hokage and exited her office.

Yes. She knew the complications of Genjustsu. It wasn't as simple as healing a physical wound. She couldn't just weave her chakra through the cells and tissue and mend the skin so that nothing but a light scar remained. Sufferings from Genjustsu were elusive, complex and mysterious.

Much like him.

Attempting to fix anything was like taking a stab in the dark. But Sakura was determined. She couldn't abandon him, not since they were twelve and not now either.

* * *

Early the next morning, Sakura found Sasuke sleeping. The glass on the floor had been cleaned up and she felt comforted watching him rest, his breathing calm and steady.

"We'll be okay." Sakura whispered as she reached out for his hand and lightly squeezed it. Noticing something strange on his finger, Sakura carefully turned his hand over. Her eyes widened as she saw deep cuts carved into his skin and the palm caked with dried blood. Immediately, her eyes darted over the trash can and saw bits of the glass. Like the wounds on his hand, the shards were painted red.

Sakura felt her throat tighten with fear as the pieces of glass stared up at her, their usual clarity marred by the opaque blood.

A light hold on her hand, made her quickly look away. "Sakura?"

When she didn't answer, he asked her what was wrong. Putting on a smile, Sakura simply shook her head and left his bedside to get the medicine.

As she absentmindedly poured the pills out onto her hand, Sakura recalled the two crimson eyes that had just greeted her; the three black swirls slowly rotating around as her husband gently held her hand.

"Nothing is wrong, Sasuke. I'm here for you."


	5. Forgetting

A/N: I just added Fairy Tail to my list of series to keep up with. Good stuff!

Read, indulge and enjoy.

* * *

Five: Forgetting

"You ready to go home today?"

Sakura smiled as she saw the last Uchiha, the heir to one of the greatest clans of Konoha and a powerful shinobi, light up at the prospect of finally leaving the hospital. The rare moments when Sasuke still acted like a boy were precious indeed.

His face had 'Ya mean it? Really?' written all over it but of course he preferred to remain silent and gave a curt nod instead.

"Yes, I really mean it, Sasuke." Sakura, too, felt comforted by the fact that they could leave the hospital with its white sterile rooms and sick, dying patients around every corner. She already worked ten hour shifts there six days a week; no reason to stay longer than necessary. "We'll leave before noon."

By 9:30, Sasuke was already dressed in his ninja attire with his few belongings packed and ready to go. His jounin jacket lay next to him on the hospital bed.

When Sakura walked in and saw him sitting there with a scowl on his face practically willing the minutes to go by faster, she laughed and put up her hands in defeat.

"All right, we'll leave now." Sasuke immediately put on his jacket and shouldered the pack. As he opened the door, he waited for Sakura to go out first. "Let me just grab my bag and then we'll go home and I'll make us lunch…Hey!"

Sasuke's raised eyebrow spoke volumes about her cooking and how it wasn't an incentive to be home at all, but Sakura thought it'd be appreciated nonetheless. She shrugged off her lab coat and swung it over her shoulder, purposefully letting it graze him on the head. "I'll have you know that even if I'm not that great of a cook, I am much better than you and if you want to eat more than just tomatoes for breakfast, lunch and dinner, you'd better show me a little more appreciation."

She made to stalk out of the room with her head held high but suddenly found the door shut in her face. Sasuke had pushed her against the closed door so that he stood close behind her with an arm pressed on the wall. She could feel the heat from their proximity; the only thing separating his chest from her back was the lab coat that hung over her shoulder.

"Sakura."

Whatever noise in the room seemed to be drowned out by the Sakura's heartbeat as it steadily increased. When he called out her name next to her ear, she could feel the warmth of his breath lightly tickle the skin on her neck.

"W-what?" Sakura whispered back, hardly daring to move. She could feel the heat rising in her face and prayed that no one opened the door.

His left hand found its way to her waist and pulled her closer. Instinctively, she fell back onto his broad chest feeling secure and protected. The worry that had pervaded her thoughts during the last week was momentarily wiped away as she settled into his light embrace.

"What is it, Sasuke?"

"I-"

The married couple of three years instantly sprang apart as though they were new lovers caught in a forbidden affair. Sakura shot her hand to her waist and unclipped the vibrating pager. With a short glance at the emergency number, she quickly threw on the lab coat. "Ah, I have to answer this call. Can you go home first without me?" She looked over at Sasuke who stood indifferently with one hand in the pocket and no telltale sign on his face of the intimate setting just moments before.

"Yeah, I'll see you later."

Embarrassed at seeing him so composed while she could still feel the blush on her cheeks, Sakura merely nodded and hurried out of the room. Although she cursed herself for not being able to control her emotions like a true shinobi, she couldn't help but smile.

* * *

When Sakura opened the door to the Hokage's office, she expected just her mentor and not a small gathering of familiar faces.

Naruto's signature scowl melted when he saw her come in. Kakashi, her longtime teacher, glanced lazily over to her as she closed the door behind them. She knew better than to judge the silver-haired copy-nin of his attitude; his presence meant that this was a serious discussion.

The foreboding feeling made the anxiety rush back at full force in Sakura's mind. After the formal greeting, Sakura braced herself for the news she was about to hear.

* * *

It wasn't until midnight that Sakura finally made her way back to the house. Her feet carried her through the usual pathway and steered her where she needed to go while her mind was elsewhere. Pushing the door open, she methodically took off her shoes, coat and dropped her bag with an unceremonious thump on the floor.

Suddenly, she heard a light sound. With her alerted mind finally snapped out of its stupor, she steadily went out to the courtyard where a flash of metal caught in the moonlight met her gaze.

Katana in hand, Sasuke ran down the length of the courtyard and sliced the blade through the air; the speed and accuracy of his skill made a whistling sound in the night and reduced a stone in half.

Sakura noted the startling red gleam of his eyes in the darkness as he twirled the sword hilt around his hand making the blade dance in a circle.

He quickly noticed her presence and sheathed the katana. "You're home late."

With a forced smile and laugh, Sakura took a towel hanging on the weapons rack and threw it to him; she couldn't bring herself to come any closer.

He caught the towel warily. Even though Sasuke was never one to be sensitive about emotions, he could still sense that something was wrong with his usual cheerful wife. He took a step towards her. "Sakura…"

She immediately averted her gaze and looked anywhere but in his eyes. "Hey, Sasuke. Kakashi-sensei wants to have a talk with you over tea soon." She blurted out as if to stop him from coming nearer. "So make sure you do that. Naruto too. He says you guys haven't had ramen in forever so you should meet up with him tomorrow. He'd be willing to pay too- better take him up on his offer…He says you guys can even meet up tonight if you w-wanted." Her breathing became hitched and her voice cracked over the silent night air.

"What's wrong, Sakura?" Sasuke asked as she continued to avoid looking at him. She stood trembling on the platform that led into their house with her fists clenched so hard, the knuckles were white from her conscious effort of trying not to cry. Try as she might though, tears welled up and threatened to fall and Sasuke could see them making the green of her eyes vibrant.

He felt anger stir within him and dismissing Sakura's effort to keep him away, he marched up to her. Before he could reach her though, she abruptly held up her hand. "What the hell is going on? Tell me."

The tears finally spilled down her cheeks as Sakura looked at her husband, the Sharingan still activated glared at her, yet she could see the concern in them anyway. "Wait, Sasuke. Before you come any closer, can we just stay like this a little bit longer? Please…I don't want it to end…I don't want you to forget…"

Her words confused him and made him pause. Forget? Why would he? Forget what?

"No! I-I don't want you to forget!" Sakura suddenly cried as she stumbled off the wooden platform and struggled to run in the gravel towards him. Sasuke rushed forward and caught her in his arms, holding her tightly. He held her shaking frame while she sobbed hard into his jacket and gripped his back as though she would never let him go.

"What the hell is wrong?" Sasuke asked but she wouldn't answer, couldn't answer.

After a while, Sakura looked up at her husband whose eyes had returned to their usual obsidian color. He gently wiped away the strands of hair that clung to her tear-stained cheeks.

He wouldn't ask another question, he'd let her rest first and would take care of her as he had silently promised on the day of their marriage. He would never let her be hurt again, whether it was by him or the enemy ninjas out on the battlefield. As her husband, lover and friend, he swore to do what he had to in order to protect her. Now that he knew she was still by his side, the vow to keep her safe and happy stood out in his mind as the number one priority in his life.

Sakura smiled as she raised a cold hand to his cheek. "Tonight, can we forget about that? Forget everything and just be with each other?"

Sasuke closed his eyes in defeat. He stood up and gently scooped her up in his arms. "Yes."

He carefully carried her into their house and slid the door shut behind them.

That night, they were safe in their haven, protected from whatever outside force that hung over them and threatened to erase what had together. That night, they were husband and wife, loving and tender towards one another and escaped to a wonderful dream world that sadly would not last long.


	6. Vendetta

A/N: Ahh, this summer weather really makes it hard to write such serious stuff. I'd rather immerse myself in humorous romance fics, Ouran goodness or...Fairy Tail. Haha, it's becoming an anime this fall and I am super excited!

Now onwards, ye cavaliers!

* * *

Six: Vendetta

The cup of tea with the silver-haired veteran did not happen. The promised bowl of ramen was never treated.

Four days after Sakura came home in tears, Sasuke had vanished without a trace.

"That bastard!" Naruto cursed loudly as he darted through the trees, the filtered sunlight danced in spots over his jounin jacket as he sped on, his eye occasionally looking about for signs of the Uchiha.

"How could he leave Sakura-chan like this?" The blond grit his teeth in anger as he recalled his beloved friend's face that morning.

_Five hours earlier…_

"Naruto." The pink-haired ninja called out his name softly in response after he had burst into the house, yelling for someone to answer him. Rushing into the bedroom, Naruto found Sakura sitting on the neatly made bed and looking out the window. "Please, don't look so angry."

Naruto froze. Sakura hardly ever pleaded with him unless it was of the greatest importance. He'd always sworn to do whatever he could for her. Whether it was to bring Sasuke back or save the village in a crisis, he would try ten times harder just for her.

But this time, it was hard not to suppress the rage. Sasuke had abandoned her again leaving her to cry by herself. Was it his job to go chasing after him once more after all of these years?

Sakura smiled in earnest as she took his hand. "Please help me look for him, Naruto. Remember, he's losing his memory. He can't be blamed for this."

Naruto swore under his breath but agreed anyway.

* * *

Her sandals crunched conspicuously on the leaves and twigs of the forest but she didn't care. Her mind kept wandering back to early yesterday morning when he left...

The warm covers over her body tempted her to keep on sleeping but as she reached over and felt him not there, the emptiness made her wide awake.

"Sasuke?" Sakura glanced at the clock on the bedside table: 4:11am. As if in reply to her question, the closing of the front door resounded in the house. Sakura threw aside the covers, grabbed her nightrobe and was out the door after him.

Outside, the cold strong wind whipped through the streets making it hard to see or walk. Sakura drew the robe around her as best as she could and gathered chakra in her feet.

"Sasuke!" Her cry was lost among the whistling of the wind but she was determined. Keeping her eyes open and steady, Sakura ran down the streets, her slippers barely coping with the speed. Finally, she spotted his retreating figure on the bridge over the river, heading into the heart of the village. She picked up speed running hard and as she neared the bridge, leapt and overshot him. Cartwheeling, she landed roughly before him causing the wooden boards to creak beneath the impact.

The knotted sash around her waist had come undone so that her robe billowed about her. Although the wind slashed at her through her thin pajamas, she couldn't care less. All she saw was her husband's shadowed expressionless face partly illuminated by a nearby streetlamp.

"What are you doing? It's barely four in the morning." Sakura started cautiously. "You should be asleep-"

"I have a mission today." The tone was void of emotion; it was simple, almost mechanical, like how he used to be. Sakura flinched and hesitated before speaking again.

"You don't have a mission. You're currently on sick leave because you just left the hospital a couple of days ago." She tentatively reached out but he avoided her touch and walked past her.

Sakura stood still with her arm still outstretched. She didn't have the courage to turn around to face the old Sasuke, the one who had hurt her with his indifference and coldness.

"You think you know my mission assignments better than me?" His footsteps had stopped momentarily. "I have to secure my checkpoint. You go back." With that, he disappeared in a cloud of smoke to an unknown destination so that Sakura could not follow.

The tears came again and this time, there was no hope of holding them back. Choking on gasps of the cold air, Sakura felt her chest constrict with grief. "No, not yet! It's happening so fast…he was fine just a couple of days ago!" She raised a hand to fiercely wipe away the tears that kept coming and dashed home.

Sakura pounded up the stairs, stripped off her pajamas and into her ninja attire. Shrugging on her jounin jacket and pulling on her shoes, Sakura hastily grabbed a holster of kunais and her pack of shuriken.

If her words failed her, she would still have to stop him regardless of what it took.

The hours passed by as if they were seconds as Sakura scoured the city and the edges of the forest. Every minute that passed made her heart ache with worry. Tsunade's prognosis of Sasuke's condition echoed in her mind.

He was clearly reverting back to how he used to be. The effects of the Sharingan were unraveling his memories and subsequently changing his personality. There was no way to predict when it will stop but the probability that the damage was permanent was high.

Sakura had desperately asked her mentor how to stop the reversal but there was no answer, there was no antidote. All she could do was be by his side.

The young ninja suppressed a shiver as she ran through the deserted streets of the early morning, dreading to find her husband a mirror of what he used to be: a heartless avenger, forsaking his friends for the one goal of achieving revenge and death.

After another hour of searching, the village began to stir and signs of life signaled the beginning of a new day. In one last desperate attempt, Sakura scaled the tallest building in the village and swept her eyes down below.

Nothing, not one trace of him remained.

That was when she decided to call for help. Her friend would always be by her side when she needed it.

Sakura made her way toward the river in the forest. She had been searching for hours with no luck. Deciding to rest, Sakura sat down on a boulder and looked into the river; her reflection looked pitiful: her hair was disheveled, dark circles marked lack of sleep and the sad look in her eyes made the depression in her mind slowly change into frustration.

As she continued to stare at her reflection in the water, she suddenly noticed a stream of red run down the river. Puzzled, Sakura followed the trail of red up the river where its crimson color had spread to a wider area.

Her green eyes widened with shock as the pools of red turned darker. Something slowly floated downstream towards her and as it neared, Sakura's brows furrowed with the innate sense that a brutal battle had taken place a little ways from there just hours ago. It was a dismembered arm that had flowed down the river and lodged against the reeds by the bank.

Sakura retrieved a kunai from the holster on her thigh and stealthily made her way upstream, carefully hiding in the shadows of the trees. Her assumptions had been correct; as she went further up, more and more dismembered body parts littered the water. There was no sign if these belonged to Konoha shinobi or enemies. Taking out a locater, Sakura checked her coordinates: she was near the checkpoint of where the Cloud ninjas had supposedly marked as their territory. When she had fought them a couple of weeks back, she was somewhere in near the vicinity as well.

Praying that more Konoha shinobi did not fall to their traps, Sakura continued to follow the river when she suddenly froze. A pile of bodies lay stacked on the riverbed. Checking to make sure it was clear, Sakura darted forward to examine the corpses.

A fallen headband of a Cloud ninja from Kumogakure laid at her feet.

From this distance, Sakura gathered that they had been only recently killed. From the looks of their ranks, there were five jounin and around eight chuunins, not an easy handful to handle.

Noticing the expression of one ninja, Sakura knelt down to inspect him further. A trail of drool dripped from his mouth, his eyes lolled back into his head with the whites around his irises bloodshot.

"Genjutsu…and," Sakura trailed off and noted the precision of the fatal wound across the victim's neck: fine, clean and expertly delivered. "The use of a katana."


End file.
